Bengaluru, March 28: Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered an early setback in their chase of 202 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match of Indian Premier League 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing a challenging target of 202, RCB lost their first wicket in just the second over when Phil Salt was dismissed for a low score. Salt attempted an aggressive lofted shot but mistimed it, resulting in a catch by Heinrich Klaasen off the bowling of Jaydev Unadkat.
Following the early dismissal, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal steadied the innings. Padikkal showed attacking intent, smashing a six early in his innings, while Kohli added a boundary to keep the scoreboard moving. RCB reached 43/1 in 3.3 overs, needing 159 runs from 99 balls.
Earlier in the match, stand-in captain Ishan Kishan led SRH’s recovery with a blistering 80 off 38 balls. He was well supported by Aniket Verma, who scored a quick 43 off just 18 deliveries, helping SRH post a competitive total of 201/9 in their 20 overs.
Despite a shaky start at 29/3 during the powerplay, SRH bounced back strongly with contributions from Klaasen (31) and the middle order. For RCB, New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy was the standout bowler, claiming three crucial wickets, including those of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head in the same over.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar had opted to bowl first after winning the toss.
In a poignant gesture, all RCB players wore black armbands during the match to pay tribute to fans who lost their lives in a tragic stampede outside the stadium following the team’s historic title win in 2025.
With a steep target ahead and an early wicket down, the pressure now firmly rests on Kohli and the RCB batting lineup to deliver in the high-voltage season opener.
The Impressive Times
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